


Just a Little Digging Underneath the Surface

by Velocity_Owl87



Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Coma, Dwarf Culture, Everybody Lives, F/M, Gen, Lactation, Married Couple, Married Sex, Medical, Permanent Injury, Power Dynamics, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-01
Updated: 2013-04-01
Packaged: 2017-12-07 04:08:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/744059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velocity_Owl87/pseuds/Velocity_Owl87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thorin and Kili don't fall in battle, but neither comes back unscathed either. Kili's been wounded and Thorin has fallen into a coma. Power needs to be shifted and re-arranged until the King can take up his crown. Yet, while most have given him up for lost, his family and friends still hold out hope he will find his way back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just a Little Digging Underneath the Surface

**Author's Note:**

> 3rd loose sequel that started with "If we are together again, surely this will never end" and "Forget your name (the love it takes), forget your fear (to destroy a man)". It follows the question of what if Fili had been a woman and what that would have meant. This part also is canon-divergent in that it has everyone surviving and dealing with politics if Thorin wasn't able to immediately take up duties as the King Under the Mountain.
> 
> His son is named after the supposed name of Dis' canonical husband. Other than that, things are not really set in stone with this one.

_Bilbo_  

He had been the last one standing, so it seemed and he had been the first to help pick through the dead in the aftermath of the battle. He ignored the cries and lamentations as he moved swiftly, his heart thudding in his chest as he looked for Kili and Thorin.  

They had been separated and he had last seen them facing the Orc King before he was swept away. He rushed over to the last place that he had seen them and was met by Dwalin, who was throwing bodies off left and right as he frantically searched for his king and his nephew.  

Bilbo though, was the one to find Kili, who was buried under bodies, but still breathing shallowly. He was pale, and more than likely badly injured, but alive. Bilbo breathed out a sigh of relief and shouted for help from the others.  

Dwalin had found Thorin and he was howling as he pulled his king's body free from the wreckage. Bilbo felt his heart stop when he witnessed Dwalin carry the King Under the Mountain as he would a child towards the  healer's tent.  

Thorin himself didn't react to anything and his head rolled to and fro as Dwalin carried him past Bilbo, who felt himself frozen in the same spot. He hoped that Thorin was still alive and that Kili would survive the night, but it was looking very unlikely.  

He swallowed and shook himself out of his trance. There was nothing he could do for Thorin Oakenshield or his nephew, but he could be of help to someone else instead.  

He moved through the battlefield, looking for more live dwarrows and passed Bofur and Balin, who were also doing the same thing. They were speaking in the common tongue as they worked and Bilbo didn't pay them much mind, barely noticing them as he went on his way.  

"-send word to Dis and Fili before-" 

Bilbo frowned at the names, the sound niggling at his consciousness for some reason.  

He kept on mulling about that sentence until he came across an injured man and he quickly went to his task. 

 _Bard_   

He was in his own hall, among his own people when the messenger came, bearing news from Erebor. He received him in his private chambers and waited, stilling his tongue as the long-looked for news of Erebor were given.  

They had heard nothing for at least a moon, but that couldn't be helped. There was still so much to repair. Not just dwellings, but alliances also. The dead needed to be buried and debts needed to be settled. The Dwarrows had sent envoys out, giving the men and the elves the agreed on shares. But had done nothing more.  

No one had seen the King or his nephew after the battle and the dwarrows were keeping their secrets. They ventured out only to keep old promises and nothing more. There was speculation that they were waiting for something or someone to arrive. 

Bard didn't listen to any of the wild guesses and the last time he had met with the Elves, they had indicated as much. The elves were less hostile now that they had their promised treasure and orcs had been cleared out and had simply waited for the dwarrows to send word once they had established themselves in their ancient halls.  

But now, they were coming out and sending messengers. There had been a change under the mountain and the dwarrows were ready to let it be known to the rest of their neighbours what exactly that change was.  

"King Thorin still lives as does his nephew and heir. Both are gravely injured, so his sister, the Lady Dis and his wife, Queen Fili will stand as regents until the situation changes." The messenger announced, completely flooring Bard to the point that he only just remembered to school his features into the often used mask of neutrality he was used to. The dwarrow, if he noticed the slip, said nothing and instead handed him a piece of folded parchment with a wax sealed stamped with the symbol of the line of Durin. 

"The Regents also ask if it would please you, Bard of Laketown, to come to Erebor in a fortnight for the investiture of the Co-Regents until King Thorin is no longer indisposed." 

The dwarrow waited politely for him to crack the seal open and read the exact message he was given, but couched in more formal language. He'd rather not have to travel into the mountain, but he also is determined to not let alliances lapse like his ancestors. Besides, Erebor has partly funded the reparations of Laketown and he privately admitted that he was curious to see what Thorin's sister and his Queen would be like.  

He closed the parchment and looked at the dwarrow, who was watching him closely.  

"I accept the invitation on behalf of Laketown and its residents." 

The dwarrow nodded.  

"I will let Lady Dis and Queen Fili know of this." 

He replied before bowing again and taking his leave, leaving Bard alone to wonder and speculate on the new turn of events. 

And to appreciate the closed-mouthedness of the dwarrows. 

"Queen Fili." He murmured to himself, tapping the letter across the palm of his hand once the dwarrow had left and making him wonder what other surprises would come after this particular revelation. 

 _Dis_  

"I don't like it, but if we have to, then we must." She told Kili as her son sat beside the large bed in the King's chambers. The king had been moved out of the dark healer's halls into his own chambers once it was clear he wasn't going to open his eyes quickly and assume the crown and all of the duties inherent with it. Dis and her children thought that he'd be more comfortable in his own chambers than in the healer's ward. 

She bit her lip before she spoke again as her eyes swept quickly over the king before fixing themselves to her son's face.  

"I'd rather have you as the regent, rather than myself. You and your sister would be good co-rulers until your uncle wakes up." 

   
Kili sighed and rubbed self-consciously at the thick knots of scar tissue that peeked out from the collar of his tunic. He moved stiffly as he put his hand on his uncle's forehead and pushed the hair away from his forehead. The grevious wound that sent Thorin into his sleep was now a scar that was just visible over his right eye. His face was smooth and relaxed and looked younger than it had in all the years that they had been wandering in exile. Occasionally, his fingers would twitch and he would shift in his long sleep, giving the healers confidence that despite his long sleep, he would eventually wake. 

These signs also gave Dis hope that her brother wasn't lost. That Kili would eventually be healed enough to use his bow and that her grandson, Vili, would one day know his father. 

"The King is the land and the land is the King." Kili quoted at his mother, pulling away from his uncle and standing up, his movements painful and stiff from the grievous wounds he had just barely recovered from. 

"It makes more political sense to have the whole daughter of kings and his consort be regents for his son and heir. They will accept me as the protector of my sister's son and the heir much more easily than if I were to claim the regency. Even if it is temporary." 

Kili spoke the words without any inflection and Dis was sure that the idea had been put in his mind by Balin. She didn't quite agree, but he was right. She also knew that it was a selfish thing, to want to pass the burden onto him when he was still tired and hurting. A burden that he wasn't ready for and would be the death of him in the end.  

"It will be." 

Kili surprised her by stating in a low, but sure voice.  

"He will wake. He is just...lost. But he will find his way." 

Dis nodded and tried to smile at her son's words.  

"Once he does, he'll wake up. He promised Fili he'd come back and uncle is always a dwarf of his word." 

 _Kili_  

It was nearly time for the presentation of the regents and of the heir and despite being told that a messenger would take care of that, Kili decided he would fetch his sister and nephew himself. If their uncle couldn't be present, he would be the one to take that position. 

He opened the door of the Queen's chamber and smiled when he saw his sister bending over the cradle that had been hastily found for Vili. She had just scooped him out of the cradle and was cradling him to her chest when she turned around and saw her brother standing at the door.  

"Kili! Ah, Vili, look who is here!" Fili exclaimed, walking up to Kili and presenting her son to his uncle.  

Kili smiled and accepted his nephew, who was gurgling and waving his arms as his uncle deftly picked him up with one arm. Fili pretended to not notice how much effort it took him and only tucked Vili's blanket's around him more securely.  

"Vili! Did you miss your uncle?!" Kili exclaimed, making his nephew laugh with joy. Fili only smiled and tucked the braids that held the beads given to her by Thorin, Dis and even him behind her ears.  

Other than the paleness of her features, his sister was every inch the Queen Under the Mountain. Her gown was dark blue and made her fair fall of her hair stand out and her eyes look larger in her face. her axes hung at her belt and a large blue sapphire hung at her throat. She was ready.  

But from the paleness of her face and the whiteness of her lips, he could see that she was nervous. 

Kili watched her before he raised his injured arm and placed it on his sister's arm. 

"It will be only for a little while, sister." 

Fili's face crumpled, but she didn't cry and only nodded.  

"Is it time then?"  

"And I will be standing with you. Both of you, until he comes back." 

Kili emphasized, looking at Vili. 

"I know." 

They didn't speak anymore as they headed towards the great reception hall of Erebor, where everyone was gathered and murmuring as they waited for the Regents to be presented.  

He felt his sister falter, but he pulled her forward to stand beside their mother once their names and Vili's name were announced. He let her lean heavily on him as they walked and he gave her arm a squeeze before giving her Vili back and moving to the back with all the other advisors and to show that he had no designs on the throne or his nephew. 

He wasn't a politician, far from it. But he knew that gestures went quite far. Already, he could see the alliances moving and shifting by his simple act of stepping back. He could also see how many of them were eyeing his sister with open speculation.  

He made mental notes of those that looked at his sister as if she was a prize to be bought and silently prayed to Mahal that his uncle would awaken soon. There was only so much he could do to keep his sister and nephew safe. 

 _Bilbo_   

He had chosen to stay with Thorin, not wanting the King to be alone while his people celebrated the return of Durin's line on the throne and the promise of it finally lasting in the form of Vili.  

Bilbo was still stunned at the revelation of Fili and Vili's existence. He understood why it had been an open secret among the company once the matter of who would take the crown came up after Thorin. It had been a vicious fight after all was said and done. The regency had been grudgingly agreed upon, but Bilbo and Kili had seen that the question was far from settled.  

Bilbo had promised Kili, Fili and Dis that he would stay with Thorin in case anything would occur.  

Bilbo hadn't minded, feeling that the best place for him to be was with his friend. He was done with adventure and was yearning to go back home to his hole and his book and his garden, but he found himself unable to leave until Thorin woke up. He didn't want to leave things hanging between them and even though some had given up hope, he and the other members of the line of Durin as well as the company held onto to the hope he would wake up. 

"Even asleep, you test our patience, friend. You need you to come back." Bilbo muttered as he looked at the still figure on the bed. Although Thorin was pale and looking less solid than before, he still looked every inch the king that was always meant to be. The sleep didn't diminish his regal bearing and Bilbo thought it would be a shame if he never awoke to rule or to see his wife and son.  

But Thorin lay still. Well, not completely still, Bilbo amended when he saw Thorin's hands clench into fists then loosen again. His head turned from side to side and his face twisted into a frown. Bilbo's breathing stopped for a moment when he saw this.  

Thorin had never reacted that strongly before. He had been fairly still, only occasionally moving as if caught in a dream. This was the first time since the battle that Thorin was actually moving, rather than reacting. 

Bilbo gasped and he leapt out of his chair and grabbed Thorin's hand and squeezed as his mouth started running off out of its own accord as he watched Thorin struggle to regain consciousness.  

"Your wife needs you, Thorin. Your son does too. The battle is done, old friend. You need to come back." 

Bilbo never knew what was more surprising afterward: The fact that he had spoken those words, or the fact that after months of silence, Thorin finally opened his eyes. 

Bilbo was shocked enough to let go of Thorin's hand. He was afraid to do anything lest it was just a temporary thing and Thorin would go back to sleep again. But Thorin's eyes regained their focus after a few moments and they fell upon him and Bilbo smiled. They were back to their old sharpness again.  

The king struggled to sit up, but was simply too weak to do it on his own, the battle injuries and the months of stillness having taken its toll on him. Bilbo helped him to sit up and kept him that way by stuffing the pillows scattered around the bed behind him, earning him an embarrassed look of gratitude for that. 

"Bilbo." Thorin managed to rasp out, pushing Bilbo to pour Thorin a glass of water, which the dwarrow drank down gratefully, both of them ignoring the help that Bilbo had given him.  

"Where is Kili? And Fil-" He cut himself short and glared at Bilbo sharply, almost as if he blamed the hobbit for making him give away the name of his wife. 

"Kili and the rest of your family are-" 

Bilbo's answer was cut short by the door opening to reveal Kili, Fili and Vili. Kili and Fili looked as if they had been turned to stone when they saw their uncle sitting up and clear-eyed, no longer unconscious. 

"Thorin!" Fili cried out, rushing towards her husband while Kili followed, his nephew in his arms. Which was a fortunate thing, Bilbo noted, by the way that Fili enthusiastically embraced Thorin, kissing him hungrily and crying at the same time. 

Once Fili was sure that he was awake and staying awake, Kili moved forward and carefully deposited Vili into his uncle's arms.  

"Your son, Vili." Fili whispered as she helped support his arms so that he could hold his son for the first time.  

Thorin stared at his son, his finger shakily reaching out to trace the softness of his cheek when Vili reached up and curled his tiny fist around his father's fingers. The touch made Thorin gasp and Fili give out a wet laugh before she kissed him again.  

"I think it's time we left." 

Bilbo muttered to Kili, who looked reluctant to go, but followed Bilbo's lead, leaving the King and Queen Under the Mountain alone. 

 _Fili_  

She had just finished nursing Vili when Thorin entered their chamber. She only just had time to clasp the wide neck of her nightgown closed when he put his crown and cloak off and moved slowly toward her. She watched him walk toward her and pretended to not see the slight limp that marred that purposeful stride of his. Despite the limp and being a shade too thin and pale, he was looking more and more like the dwarrow she had fallen in love with and every inch the King Under the Mountain.  

She waited until he was right in front of her to let go of her gown and let it fall open to reveal her breasts to him.  

He looked at her closely before pulling the gown off her shoulders and pulling her in for a deep kiss, her body pressing into his as he tasted every bit of her. It had been too long since they had been together. Too damned long and Fili had missed the spicy taste of him that he couldn't get enough of. She coaxed him to explore her and moaned in victory when he sucked on her tongue, tasting the cinnamon and orange while she tasted his own smoke and mint taste, making him lose himself in her as he pushed her down on the rug in front of the fire. 

Fili moaned against his mouth and pressed her body against his, belatedly realizing that this was similar to the first time that they had been together.  Except that this fire was bright and strong and the rug wasn't threadbare and she could clearly see him in the strong firelight. She also wasn't the same scared girl anymore and she welcomed what she knew was to come.  

She tugged at his tunics as he kissed her and that made him briefly pull away to take off his clothes. He made short work of them, tossing them off in a corner while Fili ran her hands over his torso. Fili noted the new scars and made mental notes of the places that made him start and shiver.  

He let her, despite feeling self-conscious about his leaner body. Fili didn't care. She was glad to have him back, no matter what. She also knew that with time, he would look the same as he always had.  Her hands wandered down to his hips and she nudged him so that he was flush against her again.  

Although it was nice to look and touch, Fili was aching for Thorin to be inside of her. She missed the way that he felt when they made love and now that he was back, she was craving his touch like a starving man craved food. She didn't want to linger any longer. She wanted for them to be together. 

She wriggled impatiently and he laughed quietly, kissing her temple, her eyelids, her nose and her mouth as he positioned himself above her. Fili moaned when his mouth travelled from her mouth, to the soft juncture of neck and shoulder and down to her breasts, which she knew had grown bigger and riper than when he had seen them last. She didn’t have the body of a maiden any longer and she wanted him to know the new lines and curves of it like he had once known it before.

He followed the curve of them, leaving wet, broad stripes of wetness on them before he took first her right and then left nipple in his mouth and suckled them. Not hard, but hard enough to get the milk flowing. She gasped in surprise and put her hands on his shoulders to push him away and get cleaned up. But Thorin was unmoving and stayed at her breast.

He suckled her gently at first, drawing and pulling with his lips, drinking down the milk that came forth.  Her hands hadn’t moved from his shoulders, but now she was gripping him and pulling her closer. The suckling was great, but it wasn’t enough. She needed more than he was giving her.

“Harder. Harder.” Fili moaned, her hands moving from him shoulders to his head. Her fingers tangled in his hair and she pressed him harder against her breasts. He complied, sucking hard enough to hurt. But it was a good sort of pain and she could feel how much he was enjoying it himself by the hard press of his manhood against her leg.

He came loose with a wet sounding pop and looked up at her, his eyes shimmering with dark lust and his mouth wet and stained with milk. She made a small whimpering noise before he bent his head and suckled on her other breast. Each suck was like a jolt of pleasure straight into her groin that intensified when Thorin fingers slid inside of her and his thumb pressed down on the hard nub of flesh that made her jerk and buck her hips for more. He responded to her wordless requests and in moments, she was wet and panting underneath him as her arousal built up inside her.

Her fingers tightened in Thorin’s hair and he growled when she pulled too hard, she was too far gone to apologize when it happened, her orgasm too close for her to actually form a coherent sentence.

He didn’t let her speak. All she knew was that one moment, she was on her back in a post-orgasmic haze and in the next moment, she was staring up at Thorin as he entered her, slowly and carefully, until he was completely sheathed in her and their bodies lay flush against each other. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his shoulders instead.  She turned her head and he nipped at her earlobes as he moved inside her, making her feel utterly and completely filled as he did.

His rhythm was slow and gentle, and she met him with every thrust, her hips undulating to meet his movements in almost perfect synch. Sometimes, the rhythm was off, but it didn’t matter to them. Thorin was glad to be with his queen again and Fili was grateful she wouldn’t just have memories of him to provide warmth when the nights got too cold and too lonely. He was here and he was warm and they moved together, their bodies now sweat-slicked and their breathing speeding up as Thorin quickened his pace, prompting Fili to wrap her legs around his hips as he thrust rapidly into her.

He kept up his pace, thrusting hard enough to make her slide on the rug or several feet until he lifted her up and thrust so deeply into her that she choked off a scream that was drowned out by his cry as he spilled inside her. He fell on top of her and even though he was heavy, Fili didn’t move him, letting him lie on top of her while their hearts slowed down. She stroked his sweaty hair away from his face and kissed his cheek lightly before it got too uncomfortable to have him be on top of her.

Thorin kissed her and pulled out, careful to not hurt her and lay his head on her chest, wrapping his leg around her while playing with the beads in her braids.  She in turn, stroked his hair, her gaze upon the fire as she did so.

“We can fall asleep here, this time.” He murmured, tilting his head up to look at her, making her laugh quietly.

“Are we going to?”

Thorin only made a humming sound before kissing her jaw.

“Only if you want to.”

“I do.”

END.

 


End file.
